IPL 2014: Match 1 Preview - Mumbai Indians vs. Kolkata Knight Riders

Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians captain

Kolkata Knight Riders:

1. Robin Uthappa- The former India opener seems to be a man on a mission to impress the national selectors. Having played a crucial role in Karnataka’s trio of title wins this year, the IPL would be the perfect platform for him to remind the selectors about his presence. With a varied range of strokes in his kitty and his aggressive intent, KKR would bank on him and Gautam Gambhir to get their team off to a good start. His ability to keep wickets is an added bonus, and it could help his side play an extra batsman or a bowler.

2. Sunil Narine- He was responsible for the Kolkata Knight Riders winning the title in 2012, and his mystery variations will be the key in this season, as well. He would be up against Mumbai’s strong middle order, as he comes in to bowl after the power play. With the surface likely to be on the slower side, he could be lethal and very difficult to read off the surface.

Probable weak link:

Mumbai Indians:

1. Zaheer Khan- Making a comeback to high intensity limited overs cricket after nearly a year, he would be under pressure to deliver right from the start. He has not managed to play an entire season of the IPL since 2010, succumbing to injuries and poor form. He also did not gain much success in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. His death bowling has been poor, and, with explosive batsmen like Yusuf and Andre Russell in the middle order, Zaheer would have to bowl out of his skin to contain them.

2. Aditya Tare- Since Mumbai do not have an international wicket-keeper, it is very likely that he will be the one entrusted with the gloves. His lack of exposure to quality pace and spin bowling could be a cause of worry for the team management, even more so when you take into account that their successful campaign last season was built around the sublime form of their wicket-keeper, Dinesh Karthik.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

1. Piyush Chawla- In a bowling line-up comprising of Morne Morkel and Sunil Narine, the Mumbai batsmen will look to take him on. His bowling has certainly been on the decline since the last time he played for India in 2012, and the management would look to play him as an all-rounder. He would also have to bowl outside his comfort zone in consideration of the fact that he isn’t the leading spinner in this side, as was the case with his previous franchise.
2. Jacques Kallis- Arguably the greatest all-rounder the game has ever seen, Kallis is yet to set the IPL ablaze with his contributions, both with bat and ball. Often criticised for his slow strike-rate, he has been guilty of throwing away matches from winning positions in the past. His bowling form, too, has seen a decline over the last few years. Having last played an international match in December, his rusty form could be exposed against Malinga and company.

Likely Playing XI:

Mumbai Indians - Mike Hussey, Aditya Tare(wk), Ambati Rayadu, Rohit Sharma(c), Shreyas Gopal, Kieron Pollard, Corey Anderson, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha.

Kolkata Knight Riders - Gautam Gambhir(c), Robin Uthappa, Manvinder Bisla(wk), Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Piyush Chawla/Vinay Kumar, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav.

Head-to-head:

Total matches played - 13

Mumbai Indians - 10

Kolkata Knight Riders - 2

Toss Effect:

The toss is unlikely to play a huge role in determining the outcome of the match since the conditions are likely to remain the same for both the teams. However, the team that wins the toss would prefer to bowl first, as both the teams have batsmen who can clear the boundary ropes at will and hence would prefer knowing the total to chase.

A beautiful stadium, great batting wicket, star-studded teams, an electric atmosphere and Indians returning to the Middle East after nine long years, bring on the IPL, I say.